- What is cancer?
- Types
- Symptoms
- Stages
- Cancer causes
What is cancer?
Cells are the basic building blocks in our body, which grows big and divides into the new cells. This process is natural and streamlined as needed, in this way old cells die and replaced with new. When cells grow abnormally without control they form a mass called a tumor. Tumor can be benign or malignant, only malignant are cancer and benign tumors are not.
Cancer is the result of abnormal growth of the cells in the human body. It is a genetic disease, the way cell grows and divides function of gene changes.
DNA damage caused by environmental exposure also impacts cells behavior in the body. Before converting normal cell to cancer it will undergo couple of stages.
Cancer can start almost any part of the body and spreads to the other organ, latter this process is called metastasizing.
The name cancer is given to a collection of related diseases (more than 100 types) in the body.
WHO estimates that worldwide 9.6 million people died from cancer in the year 2018, that is 1 in six deaths and total of 18 million cases globally.
Cancer considered as second-leading death cause. Australia had the highest cancer rate for men and women together, at 468 people per 100,000. Read more on cancer data.
Types of cancer
There are over 100 types of cancer, classified based on the organ where it starts and in tissues its formed. eg. lung cancer starts in lung cancer and brain cancer starts in brain cells and etc.
There are certain cancers which start in a specific type of cells:
- Carcinomas. These are the most common type of cancer, it begins in the skin or the tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands usually form solid tumors. eg: Breast cancer and lung cancer.
- Sarcomas. It begins in the tissues that support and connect the body. A sarcoma can develop in fat, muscles, tendons, joints, lymph vessels, nerves, blood vessels, cartilage, or bone.
- Leukemias. Leukemia is blood cancer, it starts in healthy blood cells and grows abnormally.
- Lymphomas. It begins in a network of vessels and glands called the lymphatic system, which fights infection in the body.
Symptoms
Cancer can cause many symptoms, and it varies based on affected part of the body. A screening test can detect cancer and you can also find the early warning signs with a close observation on your body changes.
cancer does not cause pain, so do not wait to feel pain before seeing a doctor. Below are the common symptoms that cancer may cause include.
- Severe Fatigue
- Breast changes – Lump or firm feeling in your breast, nipple changes or discharge
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Bowel changes or Bladder changes
- Trouble swallowing
- Skin color changes or changes in moles
- Muscle or joint pain for unknown reasons
- Cough or breathing issue
- Mouth changes – white or red patches, bleeding or pain
- abnormal pelvic pain or periods
- Headaches, vision or hearing changes.
Stages of cancer
It refers to the cancer severity in the body, most of the cancers have four stages indicates with Roman numbers. Other cancers like blood cancers, lymphoma and brain cancer, have their own staging systems but all refer to cancer severity.
- Stage 0 – No cancer yet, only abnormal cells potentials to become cancer.
- Stage 1 – It is the initial stage of cancer and it is limited one area in the body.
- Stage II and III Indicates that cancer is bigger and has grown into nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
- Stage IV – it refers to cancer has spread to other parts of your body. It’s also called advanced or metastatic cancer.
A physical test, lab test, X-ray or tests like Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computerized tomography (CT) and Ultrasound will be conducted to check the cancer stage. Sometimes tumor removed in surgery and exams with a microscope for more results.
Cancer causes
There are many factors which may cause cancer, and it varies for the type of cancer. It can be lifestyle, food, environmental, genes, virus or bacteria.
- Heavy alcohol consumption , Smoking and Tobacco
- Exposure to UV rays, Radiation and chemicals
- Hormonal drugs usage
- Unsafe sex
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Overweight or obese
- Red , Processed meats
- Poor nutrition
- Family history, inheritance, and genetics
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses
- Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) etc
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